Would you want to live forever?

[Remus]

Since this thread is in response to the other "singularity" thread, then the concep of living forever is in line with that one.

Therefore:

-You wouldn't age
-You would be forever young
-Imune to desease/infections
-Imune to non lethal injuries such as cuts, bruises, fractures, severed limbs etc.

This according to Kurzweil is "stage two immortality" which I find very apealing. However stage three, going completely sinthetic, nonhuman, isn't appealing to me.

 

[Lucid]

If it was just me... then **** no.

If it was everyone and if we never aged then sure.

 

[Rizzo]

I think that whould be nice. But I whould also like be able to start at the begining. The dawn of man. And observe it intill the end. Join in on some historical moments. Hang with Jesus.

 

[Remus]

Join in on some historical moments. Hang with Jesus.

Be burned at the stake as a warlock/heretic/whatever. Yeah the past sounds like fun.

BTW, I liked "The man from Earth" too.

 

[Vegeta897]

People saying "yes, as long as I can kill myself or be killed" are totally missing the point of the question. Obviously if you can still die then you'd answer yes, because there's no disadvantage. You could just live on until you're bored and then die.

What the poll is really asking is, would you take the risk of living forever and dealing with the consequences. That's the kicker, and that's where the discussion value comes in to play.

 

[arch5]

I vote Yes. Would be awesome to live forever.

 

[Tacoeaterguy]

Yeah there would be some awful consequences to living forever. Watching all your family members die, and watching everyone you knew disappear. People would start to notice that you never pass away, and would get suspicious. They would probably quarantine you, and you would spend the rest of your eternal life in some test lab, with some scientists trying to find the secret of immortality. Imagine spending eternity locked up, like a life sentence that never ends. Eventually you would go insane. Some time in the far future, the world has some catastrophic event that would end life as we know it, except one. Then you might just drift through space forever or something. It would suck.

But then you have to think about if it could be beneficial to like, space programs planning to visit far away planets. I don't know. There really is a lot of possibilities to think about on this subject.

Edit: Oh my look at my posts.

 

[Sheepo]

Spoiler

You thieving scoundrel.

 

[Escaep]

But something else people need to consider is if we are still Earth bound, the planet would become severely overpopulated in just a few years time. As it stands now, we are already creeping towards being overpopulated, and if in the future noone dies, well we'd all eventually die anyway because I doubt even with future technology you can survive without the basic biological necessities such as food and water.

 

[Remus]

What the poll is really asking is, would you take the risk of living forever and dealing with the consequences. That's the kicker, and that's where the discussion value comes in to play.

I know what the poll is really asking, and as I said before it's completely unrealistic and irelevant. The op said himself that this thread is in response to "Kurzweil's Singularity", where the concept of immortality is layed out in a strict technological/realistic sense, without any disadvantages.
It's just as riculous and irrelevant as asking "would you use a car if there was the risk it would spontaneously explode as soon as you got in it".

 

[Mogi67]

No, I want to experience dying.

 

[Raziaar]

I do want to live forever. It would take forever to experience all the countless things there would be to do, and the types of people you could meet. You could become a puppet master of sorts and do all kinds of things.

 

[YROC]

Yes, as long as I can kill myself or be killed.

It would be nice if I could look like I'm around 21 forever, too.

Forever young! I want to be... forever young!

Me too mang. :c

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

If we were an intergalactic-travelling species then I suppose the temptation of immortality would be greater than it would be now.

But in all honesty: **** no.

EDIT: Unless I became OMNISCIENT!

I, Captain Spectacular have seen through Ziltoid's facade, and now set out to expose Ziltoid for what he really is...A nerd. A nerd.

 

[MJ12]

Probably not.

I think you would reach a point far down the road where you simply wouldn't think anymore, or care anymore about what is going on, no matter how interesting or different. I think everyone has those times where they feel their brain is just exhausted from deep thought. Now imagine trying to think forever.

Any care or memory for past loved ones would most likely vanish into nothing.
Pursuit of things like love and sex would lose it's value as well; it would become so redundant that it would be entirely tedious.
Connecting with any other human being on an intellectual level would be almost impossible considering the inconceivable amount of experience and knowledge you would gain from living that long.

It would suck, you would be so distant and disconnected.

 

[Raziaar]

Probably not.

I think you would reach a point far down the road where you simply wouldn't think anymore, or care anymore about what is going on, no matter how interesting or different.

Any care or memory for past loved ones would most likely vanish into nothing.
Pursuit of things like love and sex would lose it's value as well; it would become so redundant that it would be entirely tedious.
Connecting with any other human being on an intellectual level would be almost impossible considering the inconceivable amount of experience and knowledge you would gain from living that long.

it would suck, you'd be disconnected.

Why the **** would you rely on memory alone? Hell... I'd create journals for myself of the important things I've done in my life. That way, I can always remind myself of good times in the past.

I personally don't understand people who say they think living forever would be a bad thing. I'm just not wired to think so I guess... I want to live forever.

 

[MJ12]

Why the **** would you rely on memory alone? Hell... I'd create journals for myself of the important things I've done in my life. That way, I can always remind myself of good times in the past.

When you are two million years old you will not give a shit about your petty journals you wrote and read thousands of times when you were a lesser organism. You probably wouldn't even understand what they mean anymore.


I would just argue that over such a long time the mind would transcend (or descend) into a state that we cannot even comprehend right now.

 

[Krynn72]

This, pretty much. Also I'd need to have my body not age and be immune to sickness etc., as I'm pretty sure living as a human wreck physically is not fun at all.

If it's the scenario when you cannot ever die, then no.

This. Maybe not necessarily immune to sickness, but I definitely dont want to age.

 

[Unfocused]

Why the **** would you rely on memory alone? Hell... I'd create journals for myself of the important things I've done in my life. That way, I can always remind myself of good times in the past.

I personally don't understand people who say they think living forever would be a bad thing. I'm just not wired to think so I guess... I want to live forever.

But there's no way out if you become bored with life. You may not think you could get bored with it, but wouldn't you agree that there's at least a small possibility? Is it worth taking the risk?

Or imagine falling into some deep ditch, where nobody would find you for decades. You survive the fall, cause you're immortal, but you are unable to get out by yourself. Even if that's not a likely scenario, there is a possibility that something like this could happen and then you'd have to face the torment of being trapped in a ditch for a very long time, if not until Earth gets destroyed and you're free floating through space which would quickly get as boring as sitting in a ditch.

This. Maybe not necessarily immune to sickness, but I definitely dont want to age.

Oh, I wouldn't mind getting a cold, but living in pain because you've got cancer everywhere wouldn't be pleasant.

 

[swan_song1973]

never, 60-80 years is enough.

 

[Raziaar]

But there's no way out if you become bored with life. You may not think you could get bored with it, but wouldn't you agree that there's at least a small possibility? Is it worth taking the risk?

Or imagine falling into some deep ditch, where nobody would find you for decades. You survive the fall, cause you're immortal, but you are unable to get out by yourself. Even if that's not a likely scenario, there is a possibility that something like this could happen and then you'd have to face the torment of being trapped in a ditch for a very long time, if not until Earth gets destroyed and you're free floating through space which would quickly get as boring as sitting in a ditch.



Oh, I wouldn't mind getting a cold, but living in pain because you've got cancer everywhere wouldn't be pleasant.

Ahhh, but you see my friend... you would acquire power... wealth and power and technology. Such an occurrence would never happen! Never! If you could live forever, and not die, you would, or at least I would, have a group of trusted devotees or worshipers to ensure that things like that never happened to me.

I'm sure after the universe cools even an immortal being would cease to function. If he's frozen solid, he wouldn't have any thought capacity or anything until thawed again, which would never happen!

 

[63]

Yes.

"No, because life would get boring after a while." is pathetic.

 

[Wanted Bob]

I made up my mind and voted no. However, maybe I would say yes if I could just live forever until I decided its time to die.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

decided its time to die.

thug lyfe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[VirusType2]

Yes.

"No, because life would get boring after a while." is pathetic.

No, what's pathetic is you bitches want to live forever. Even if you had eternity, you'll never get sex. 40000,000000,000,0,000 year old virgins. Anyone under a trillion years old = pedo.

What kind of ****ing drugs are you on, man. Life ain't that good TM

 

[Sheepo]

I'm of the belief that the longer a person does something, the less meaning it really has. The interesting and exciting aspects of living forever wouldn't really make up for what would eventually become an essentially meaningless existence. But as everyone else said, if ending it is possible, then sure.

 

[Raziaar]

No, what's pathetic is you bitches want to live forever. Even if you had eternity, you'll never get sex. 40000,000000,000,0,000 year old virgins. Anyone under a trillion years old = pedo.

What kind of ****ing drugs are you on, man. Life ain't that good TM

Life isn't that good? You don't like being alive? It's not that big of a deal to you? For some of us, it means everything. From being able to experience something to being able to experience nothing... I'd rather pick the something. I have a difficult time coming to grips with the fact that I will cease to exist, and thus the prospect of having that never come to reality is far more preferable for me.

There are things I want to see in the future. I want to see if man ever makes it off the planet. How realistic games get, what the future is like, what animals evolve into... what new species come into existence.

There are countless things we normally wouldn't think of to attempt in our lives, countless possibilities in the future that we would want to experience if we knew happened... and I might want to be there for it if I had the chance.

 

[flamingdts]

Do I want to live forever? Sure

Do I want to be around when a nuclear holocaust happens? Hell no

 

[Raziaar]

Do I want to live forever? Sure

Do I want to be around when a nuclear holocaust happens? Hell no

You could be humanities savior.

 

[VirusType2]

From being able to experience something to being able to experience nothing... I'd rather pick the something.

But you've already experienced plenty, and there's plenty more to go for you.

I have a difficult time coming to grips with the fact that I will cease to exist, and thus the prospect of having that never come to reality is far more preferable for me.

Wait until you guys start rolling up on 40 years old. You will see through different eyes. I'm not saying that I want to die, I'm saying 60-100 years is enough. Haven't you ever seen really old people before? They are waiting to die, and some can't ****ing wait.

And this is compounded by the fact that everyone you will ever know and love will die. It brings a tear to my eye just imagining that.

There are things I want to see in the future. I want to see if man ever makes it off the planet. How realistic games get, what the future is like, what animals evolve into... what new species come into existence.

But you make it seem like only good things can happen. HAH AHA.

No thanks. 65 years of 40 hours per week working for some shit job you can't stand is way too much as it is. Enjoy your eternity. I think living forever would literally be what hell is like.

 

[Raziaar]

Old people degrade. Their bodies break down and then they die.

My assumption from living forever, is that you wouldn't simply break down like that... or else you'd die. And I have to make the assumption that you can't simply die from accidents and the sort... or else none of you would be complaining about living forever, since you could easily off yourself whenever you wanted.

And sorry, but if I had forever to live... I wouldn't be stuck in some dead end job. I would ****ing move up the ranks and become rich and powerful, and I think it'd be easy for anybody who lives forever to do if they wanted, given enough time.

You can't judge living forever based on your current mortal coil.

 

[junior $qWirtgun]

well.....

yes it would be great but i have a question. Would you still age but just not die? or would not change at all?

 

[Shyam]

You can't judge living forever based on your current mortal coil.

But reproduction comes to mind. Will Humans reproduce, or will they stop ?

 

[Darkside55]

You know there was some kind of documentary I watched awhile back talking about how, if we stopped reproducing, we could live 200+ years. I wish I remember what the heck the name of that show was. It had some guys talking about turtles and something about our genes, and if we took something out that had to do with reproducing, we'd live longer but we'd be sterile.

 

[VirusType2]

You know there was some kind of documentary I watched awhile back talking about how, if we stopped reproducing, we could live 200+ years. I wish I remember what the heck the name of that show was. It had some guys talking about turtles and something about our genes, and if we took something out that had to do with reproducing, we'd live longer but we'd be sterile.

Wow, that's some kind of vasectomy. If they can figure that out, I bet a lot of people would opt for it - if it's even possible to do after birth anyway, and not some gene you tamper with before fertilization of the egg.

The thing is though, our bodies are not designed to live that long. Bones get very brittle and senses (esp. vision) get horrible... organs fail, etc. It would be painful and require tons of medical care to keep going to 200. Jesus. I don't think mother****ers could move at all anymore by the time they get to 140 or so.

futurama_head_jars.jpg

 

[MJ12]

It had some guys talking about turtles and something about our genes, and if we took something out that had to do with reproducing, we'd live longer but we'd be sterile.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

 

[Escaep]

yes it would be great but i have a question. Would you still age but just not die? or would not change at all?

Well if you read the singularity thread, its speculated that future nanobot technology would essentially "clean" our cells.

But the human body, no matter how well you take care of it, is susceptible to illness, disease, and senescence – the process of cellular change in the body that results in that little thing we all do called “aging.” (This cellular process is why humans are physiologically unable to live past the age of around 125 years old.) Kurzweil is well aware of this, but has a solution: he is just trying to live long enough in his human body until technology reaches the point where man can meld with machine, and he can survive as a cyborg with robotically enhanced features; survive, that is, until the day when he can eventually upload his consciousness onto a harddrive, enabling him to “live” forever as bits of information stored indefinitely; immortal, in a sense, as long as he has a copy of himself in case the computer fails.

Billions of nanobots will travel through the bloodstream in our bodies and brains. In our bodies, they will destroy pathogens, correct DNA errors, eliminate toxins, and perform many other tasks to enhance our physical well-being. As a result, we will be able to live indefinitely without aging.

 

[15357]

Yes. Provided that no one else lives forever, and I will be humanity's God Emperor given enough time.